FAITH PROMISE GIVING - Missions Giving Part 2

Missions Ready-Part 2: Faith Promise Missions

“Every saved person here today is the result of foreign missions. We are the product of someone who was the product of someone in times past that was a missionary.”

It was a Jew who brought the Gospel to Rome; a Roman who took it to France; a Frenchman who took it to Scandinavia; a Scotsman who evangelized Ireland; and an Irishman in turn made the missionary conquest of Scotland. No people have ever received the Gospel except at the hands of a foreigner.

“If someone had not received the call to go, if someone had not sent the missionary, we would not be saved today.” Men like John Wesley, George Whitfield, and David Brainerd made the trip to the Americas to win the lost, not for a church, or a denomination but for the King of heaven.

Today I want to talk about the importance of what I believe is the best way to accomplish world wide missions, it is called Faith Promise Missions Giving.

First remember we have been commissioned of God to reach the world

Matthew 28:18–20 AV

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

To carry the Great Commission, we must do more that reach our city, even our country. We’ve got to reach the world.

To understand that - we must look at the Macedonians.

I. Consider the Macedonians

2 Cor 8:1-15

Macedonia was country lying north of Greece . This is the same Macedonia that Paul had the vision of. His travels in the area are recorded Acts 16:10-17:15.

They were a low condition, and in distress, yet they sent support to others.

A. The grace of God bestowed on them

The Holy Spirit through Paul wanted the church at Corinth to know what was going on at the churches of Macedonia.

1. To know of their great affliction

1 Thessalonians 1:6 AV

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

The church at Thessalonica suffered much from their countrymen for the profession, by reproaches, persecutions, imprisonment, confiscation of goods. They were under trying afflictions, which tried their faith and patience.

2. To know of their great poverty

The Macedonians were the poorest of the poor. The province had already been through harsh treatment from the Romans, and a succession of civil wars. The Christians, because of persecution, had it worse than any others in the area. If anyone could have had an excuse not to give, they would have it.

The first thing to go for most Christians when financial strains come is their faith promise, then their tithe. Then after that they might have to cancel their cable.

Yet in their poverty the Macedonians never went bad on their commitments.

3. To know of their great joy in giving

They did nothing in order to earn their salvation, they did not do this because their pastor made them do it. They did it because they realized that it was a joy to give.

Someone said “It is more blessed to give than to receive, but it sure costs a lot more.

I never used to realize what a joy it is to give when I was young. I always thought I liked getting presents. Now that I am older, I do not want to be a taker anymore, I want to be a giver. There is much more joy, much more satisfaction.

There is joy in laying up treasures in heaven

the Bible says they abounded unto the riches of their liberality

Abound is defined as - to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure: to overflow

The grace that was bestowed upon them was to give to support others.

The Grace was to be involved in giving to others, to see that others might be saved.

The Grace to support families who have sacrificed their homes and country to reach some that you cannot reach.

The Grace to fulfill the Great Commission in their lives.

B. The Inspiration of their story

We see that the Macedonians were an example of giving for all who read the Bible.

Their giving was meant to inspire many others to give.

1. To Encourage Faith Promise Giving

In order to encourage faith promise missions to support missionaries as they take the gospel to the world

- literally – to see folks saved around the world

2. Take upon us ministering to the Saints

- literally – to see that the missionaries and their families are taken care of.

we are to make sure the missionaries have the necessary financial support

we are to the missionaries prayer support

we are to seek to encourage and be a blessing to missionaries

II. Consider what you can give

A. You can give your prayers v.4

B. You can give yourself to God v.5

C. You can give yourself for others v.5

“Giving is the thermometer of love.”

III. Consider some other ways we can give

A. Through our time

Writing letters

Going to the mission field and helping for a short time

B. Through our finances

Sending our finances to support them

C. Through ourselves

By surrendering our life to be a full time missionary

2 Corinthians 8:16–17 AV

But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

IV. Consider how much you should give v.12

A. There are many ways people give

Some give by there abundance

- most of us have an abundance, most will give out of their abundance, or possibly sacrifice a luxury to support worldwide missions

Just Give no matter how much –

We are not looking a equal giving, but equal sacrifice

Some give of desperation

Some give in poverty

B. The best way to give is by Faith

Malachi 3:10 AV

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

V. Consider taking the challenge v.7

“God has a challenge for this church today, it is the challenge to be a partaker of this grace also.”

Take a challenge

Be a part of what God is doing

It has been said “Where there is no interest, there in no investment.”

VI. Consider how beneficial this is

That is what expedient means in verse 10 - beneficial

2 Corinthians 8:10-15

It is expedient for you, your family and your church

Giving to send the gospel around the world is Expedient for the Church as well as the individual v.10

A. It assures the blessings of God

- God has many promises that are fulfilled in giving:

Matthew 6:33 AV

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Luke 6:38 AV

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

B. It teaches us to be a channel

WE NEED TO BE A CHANNEL – give and it shall be given to you.

a channel directs ships along a certain path to a particular place, the same way, God can use us as a channel of funds to give to missions.

As we continue to give by faith, God re-supplies us.

God is faithful, as we continue to give he continues to give back, and then gives us more to give to missions.

We like trusting God in the philosophical unseen things, but when it hits our pocket books, that’s when our faith starts to wane.

Trust God will meet your needs

God has called all of us to missions.

You do not have to do it. But none of us have to go to church - but we do it because we want to follow what God says in

1 Corinthians 4:2 AV

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

. We go, because that is what God wants for us. We give to missions because it is God’s pattern for achieving worldwide evangelism.